It was an unusually overcast morning as we neared Ponyville. The train rocked slowly from side to side, often tugging to the left, signalling the presence of wind as well. The local weather ponies must have been doing a great job to be up and placing all these clouds before the first train had even arrived in Ponyville. I already knew that this was a rather small and quaint village, but had never paid much attention to it despite living only an hour away in Canterlot. That is probably explained by my job, though. You see, I work with the Wonderbolts. I'm not one of The Wonderbolts, unfortunately, I just work as part of their personal advertisement team, going from place to place and handing out posters, badges and wing-shaped cakes as well as answering any questions they may have, so that everypony can understand their importance in modern flight advancements. Needless to say, our advertisement team has only ever attended major cities where the highest number of ponies are, such as Canterlot, Manehatten, Cloudsdale and the Crystal Empire. But now our manager has realised that profit of Wonderbolt-related goods has somewhat depleted recently, and that must be due to city folk becoming less interested. Using his infinite wisdom, and I say that very loosely indeed, the boss came up with the brilliant idea of travelling to smaller towns and villages to get local folk interested in The Wonderbolts again. Normally these trips would require five or six ponies at a time, so that shift work is possible and adequate rest could be obtained, but this job only required three ponies. I would be working in the morning, from 6:30am until about 11:00am, and then my co-workers would take the other shifts. I didn't mind the longer shift, though; I saw this job as a chance to get a little rest from the hustle-and-bustle of city life and take a step back, whether it was the right business call or not.
It was about 6:00am when I first set hoof in Ponyville. Just as I had thought, it was quaint, quiet, and above all else, very green. I've never seen so few buildings and so many trees in the same place before. Despite my willingness to take in the surroundings, we were running a bit late and there was a job to do. There wasn't much to the station itself but I made sure to thank anypony who worked there for the excellent service. Kindness was something very dear to my heart and had been taught to me by a young mare about three years ago. Ever since then, I have ensured to the best of my ability that I made everypony's day a little bit brighter.
The centre of the village itself was beautiful this morning, it had to be admitted. Early rays of sunlight beamed down through tiny gaps in the clouds, often reflecting a radiant orange light off the windows of buildings, stalls and signs that were scattered around Town Square. It wasn't difficult to find Town Square at all since it was the largest clearing in the village and housed the biggest building, which I could only assume to be the Town Hall I had heard about in my briefing. My co-workers began to set up the small stall we were set to run while I was given the time to get ready for my shift. In truth, I was already ready; my hair was brushed and as in-place as I could make it, I had no traces of dirt on me at all, and the replica Wonderbolts suit I had changed into earlier was practically glistening against the sunlight, whenever it got the chance to fight through the thick layer of clouds. Perhaps I had mis-judged the weather ponies, though, as I noticed a few pegasi taking to the skies and beginning to remove the clouds. It must've been forecast to be overcast last night and sunnier today. Various ponies, a mixture of lethargy and gusto, took to their stands and stalls while lights begun to flicker in the buildings around me. It seemed that the village was coming to life before my very eyes, which meant no slow start for me. I didn't get as much time to take in the surroundings as I'd have liked before I was ushered to my place before the other two representatives trotted towards a particularly bright building with a giant cupcake on top. Trust those two to be in search of pastries at this hour.
It had been a fairly uneventful morning. As I had expected, most of the ponies who gathered to see me already knew of the Wonderbolts, with a fair few avidly following them. Heck, the only reason I think I even got as much attention as I did was because it was something new in town and nopony had any prior knowledge we would be here, save for the mayor. The only thing that had shocked me about this morning's events was the attitude of the ponies in town. Nopony was uppity or rude to me at all, which is very unlike most cities and even more unlike Canterlot. I practically expected ponies to respond to my offers of a poster with "Myself, carry such a ghastly thing as that? Never shall you see me perform such a common act as carrying advertisements! How rude." before trotting away, their chins raised so high that they ought to be checked for neck strain issues. Ponyville was nothing like that; despite us being very new, everypony had a certain aura of welcoming about them and I had a wonderful time chatting with various mares and stallions. Even the young ones were polite and friendly, and that is definitely unlike most cities.
Upon checking the clock above Town Hall, I found myself with just five minutes left on my shift. It was certainly too late to travel all the way back home, especially as I would have to be up at an unholy hour in the morning to get back down here for work tomorrow. Besides, I actually wanted to explore this village and see what it had to offer and see who else I could meet. Certainly the large apple orchard to the south of the village had caught my eye over these past four hours or so, and that was a definite visit location at some point over the three-day stay. It was probably wiser to find a local inn first, though.
My train of thought was cut off by my two co-workers making their way back over to the stand, laughing and nudging each other as they did so. I rolled my eyes before jokingly remarking, "Up to no good again, I presume?"
"You know it. But seriously; this place is amazing, dear! You simply have to try Sugarcube Corner; they have the best cupcakes I have ever had. Oh, and the Carousel Boutique is to die for!"
"And don't forget the stalls around this square, either. I picked up an apple pie for three bits! What a bargain!"
I sighed a little, focusing my mind away from the pair of posh ponies, wishing with all my might that these final few minutes would be over quickly. Trying to remember the last time I was this excited about visiting something was difficult; I'd have to say that joining The Wonderbolts' advertisement team was the last huge thing that had happened to me, and that was well over two years ago now. Metaphorical butterflies fluttered through my stomach, as I realised that my excitement wasn't being helped at all by the fact that I was starving. Perhaps I would check out Sugarcube Corner after checking in at the inn, since that does have food. All of these mixed emotions were not being helped by the other two continuously blabbering about how much they had enjoyed the food, and how much time they planned to spend at the spa as soon as their shift was over. Goodness, here was me praising my boss on finding me a great place to work, but he sent me here with quite easily the most Canterlot-esque ponies I had ever met. I didn't get too much time to complain to myself though, as the bell in the Town Square rung loud and clear for the first time. By the eleventh bell, I had said my goodbyes to my two co-workers who continued to ramble, removed the Wonderbolt replica suit, and had begun trotting away from the stall.
Sugarcube Corner had not been difficult to find. After asking somepony where I might find it, it turned out to be the building the other two had gone to when I started my shift. I already knew where the local inn was thanks to my boss, so I checked in there nice and early to assure myself of a room, and had made my way to Sugarcube Corner afterwards. Now, I was sitting at a table just outside the bakery, enjoying a delicious and well-presented lemon-iced cupcake. There was certainly no complaints to be had about the service in Sugarcube Corner; my server, Mr Cake, had been very patient while I was making the very tough decision of which flavour cupcake to choose. The same level of service didn't seem to be the case for some of the ponies in the store, as I heard a couple talking about how "Over-excitable" and "Crazy" their waitress was. I didn't pay any attention to it and had taken a seat outside, where the sun now shone without so much as one cloud in the sky to obscure it. Summertime definitely seemed to be the right time to come to a place like this, as various flowers were arranged around the shops, and bumblebees and other small insects poked around the leaves and petals, as well as my cupcake on occasion. For such a small delicacy, it had nearly bested me; I was extremely full by the time I had finished. It was such a beautiful day outside that I lost track of time sitting and watching the world go by, and before I knew it, the bell rang once more to signal twelve o'clock. There was plenty I could get done this afternoon, but the issue was finding anything. Asking somepony for directions, as odd as it was to a Canterlot citizen such as myself, seemed to do the trick last time, so I took to the streets once more after leaving a tip for Mr Cake. By the time I had got up and onto the street, I realised that the apple orchard was massive and I shouldn't need directions at all, providing I went towards it. Therefore, instead of going left and back towards the now-bustling town square, I decided to head right as that appeared to lead south and therefore closer to the apple orchards that I so desperately wished to visit.
Nope. This wasn't the orchard at all. I must've taken a wrong turn, as I now found myself facing a cottage, a stream and a forest, and I couldn't see the orchard behind it at all. Giving out a little sigh, I sat down on the narrow path. I hadn't met a single pony throughout this whole trip! I could go back to Town Square and ask somepony there, but since I was already way out here, I decided the best course of action would be to knock on the door of the cottage and see if the owner knows how to get there.
Now that I had taken the time to properly survey my surroundings, I realised that the scene before me was simply stunning. Flowers bloomed from every angle, grass surrounded my hooves, and small animals scurried across the ground. Several bird nests and bird homes were put into place, and the occasional bird would dart into one of the homes. The owner must be some kind of farmer, or at the very least an animal aficionado. There was even a small bridge leading across the stream where numerous species of fish and frogs dwelled. Quietly, I made my way across the bridge and towards the door. It would be rude to disturb such a scene with pointless noise. I noticed the door was wooden and had a parting in the middle, which was unlike any door I'd ever seen before.
Murphy's law took action when I tried to knock as softly as possible, and the door made an overly loud sound as I knocked three times. The animals quickly darted under thick layers of grass, into bushes and trees, and any birds took to the skies to avoid the noise. Several similar noises could be heard from inside the cottage, too. A few seconds passed. Perhaps this was a mistake, and I should've just gone to town square. I turned to leave, and right as I did, an extremely soft voice spoke out, so quietly I'd have completely missed it had I not known whose voice it was. "I'll be there in just a moment, hold on.."
Sometimes in life, something or somepony comes along and it makes your day, week, month or year. And, rarely, that thing or pony can end up changing the course of your entire life for the better. More often than not, if it's a pony rather than a thing, it's a family member or close friend showing true dedication to helping you out. It's common to keep in contact with those ponies. In my case, the pony who helped me was a total stranger. I hadn't spoken as much as one sentence to her before she did something that changed my entire life. She taught me kindness and inadvertently set my life in motion; she helped me to get a job, my own place to live and make friends just by buying me a pie while I stood on the streets, hungry and cold. Beyond all the things I got from her kindness, she taught me how to be kind myself, and appreciate every last bit I had and give anything I could to help others out. If I could do to one other pony what she managed to do to me, I could die happy.
It therefore seemed impossible that I could be hearing her voice now, in a village I had never been to, and standing in front of a cottage door I had only knocked on for directions. The young mare I had met was in Cloudsdale, a couple of hours from here, and it was three years ago, there was no possible means by which I could have stumbled across her place of residence. No, this was a mere coincidence, and my rational mind fought to take control of my frozen body to little avail. I was effectively a statue for what felt like a lifetime before the door opened, the only movements coming from my body being that of my chest through breathing and my legs through shaking. In truth, though, I was only waiting a few more seconds before I got to see her again.
It was this point that my rational mind almost completely lost the battle, and my overwhelming joy almost got the better of me. When I had met her, she was a little smaller and a lot thinner, and had no cutie mark, but her dew yellow coat and subtle pink mane told no lies. Her eyes were the same, too, those unmistakeable, large, turquoise eyes stared at me with the same warmth they had three years ago. I must've been frozen in place for another few seconds before I bore the courage to speak. Even when I could, it sounded nothing like my voice. All confidence had been drained from me, and only a shell of my former self could be seen and heard. "Hello.."
The mare looked down at the ground sheepishly. This was the point I started to regain rational thought again, and realised I had probably come across as some crazy pony who had randomly come out all this way just for a chat. Did she even recognise me? Surely not; she'd never be able to tell I was the same pony as I was when we first met. I remember being much, much thinner, partially due to lack of muscle development but mostly due to food malnourishment. I had my mane styled completely differently, too, and it was raining that night so I probably looked like a tangled mess. Something inside me found the confidence to speak again. "How are you?"
"I'm okay.." she replied, still keeping her eyes focused on the ground. Now I was beginning to doubt myself; this could not be the same mare that helped me out that night. There's even less confidence in the pony standing before me as there is in myself right now. Still, I needed to keep this conversation going, so I called upon the small part of me confident enough to speak and let the words come out. "What's your name?"
"It's Fluttershy.." If I hadn't been listening so intently, I might have missed it, because she trailed off at the end. I now knew the name of the pony that turned my life on its head, and felt a sudden burst of confidence as the adrenaline kicked in. "Do you remember me?"
Fluttershy looked up for the first time since realising I was not somepony familiar to her, now trying to work out who I was. After getting a more thorough look and racking her brain, she replied, "No.. Should I know you? I'm sorry if I should.." My heart sunk a little. I must look really different in order to be totally unrecognisable. Still, it was time to put what she had taught me to good use, and use my choice of words to be the kindest I could be. "No, you shouldn't remember me, we met a very long time ago. But I remember you.." I stopped speaking for a moment to restrain my voice from cracking. "You helped me a lot, back in Cloudsdale a few years ago." Fluttershy had been watching me throughout my sentence, but at this point her eyes widened and she took a small step back. Her once-large pupils were now tiny and any lack of words due to shyness were wiped out and replaced with disbelief. "No.."
"Yes." I nodded lightly and tried my hardest to smile confidently. It wasn't working as well as I'd hoped, as I felt the smile grow bigger and bigger. She did remember me, she just didn't recognise me, and now I had closure on that I felt that same warm glow in my heart I had felt the first time I met her. I didn't get too much time to feel that warmth, though, as I was forced to the ground before I could have hoped to react. Once my brain made sense of my sudden lack of standing, I found myself pinned to the ground, being hugged tightly by the mare who had previously been so nervous and shy around me. This was the mare I remembered in Cloudsdale that night. I put a hoof around her and returned the hug as lightly as I could, still somewhat in shock at that reaction and starting to regret having such a rich cupcake.
"You look so different! How can this possibly be..?" Fluttershy started, ceasing to hug me as tightly and looking me in the eyes now. My smile faded as I begun to tell her how I had even got to the position I was in the night she met me, and the fact that I had lost all self-confidence before she did such a simple act of kindness to help me realise that there was a way to be happy. By the time I had got through the story of how I started going to night school, got my job at the Wonderbolts, and made a small life for myself, we were sitting at her kitchen table with a couple of glasses of water. Her reaction was priceless when I explained how she had been the catalyst to my success; she was a mixture of joy, honour and disbelief. Any time I had paused to take a break from my story to drink some water or let her speak, she had told tales of how she had wondered how I was doing, and on occasion been kept up at night hoping that I was doing alright. Eventually we finished with my story, and I learned why she lives in Ponyville, and exactly why I never would have seen her again in Cloudsdale. The near-overwhelming warmth that I had first felt when I met Fluttershy for the first time was back, though in truth it had never left me. It truly was an honour to be remembered and missed, and despite me being able to live my life happily, I have always desperately wanted to meet her. I should have got her name years ago, but none of that matters any more.
".. So you're only here for three days?" Fluttershy asked with sadness in her voice. All I could do in response was nod.
"And then you'll leave?" I nodded again but immediately shook my head. "No, not the way you are thinking. I won't leave for good. I love this village and I'll do all I can to come back as often as possible. Work will take me from place to place as it always has, but I promise that I'll be back every time I get a holiday." Fluttershy smiled once more, clearly relieved that I wasn't going to leave forever. "So.. how did you find me?"
I thought for a moment, before remembering why I came here in the first place. "I didn't find you at all, this was pure coincidence. I was looking for the way to the apple orchard south of Ponyville, and I got a little lost.." I trailed off as she giggled lightly. "You mean Sweet Apple Acres? It can be hard to find if you're new.. I can show you the way, if you like.."
"I'd like that. Are you sure you can spare the time, though? You've already been so hospitable."
"Of course I can. I have the day off, anyway.." I laughed a bit at her last comment and finished my water. "Thank you so much. For everything. I should've said it the day I met you but I was a little overwhelmed."
"It's okay. I understand.. It's nearly three o'clock, though, we should head over there before it gets too dark.."
"Okay! Lead the way, Fluttershy."
I consider myself a simple pony with simple dreams. Money was never of huge importance to me, but everypony needs enough to get by. It's been six months since I first went to Ponyville and met Fluttershy, and now I live in Ponyville. It's a little bit of an extra trip to work each day, but the village is so hospitable that the early mornings are worth it. My manager was more than surprised to see the employee who left with the most concern about the trip returning full of life and love. Would I like to say my life is perfect? Of course not. But one simple act of kindness can take somepony who is not in a good way and make their life, even if you don't think it'll help at all.